June 2009 Archives

Looking to bring a little island flavor into your life? Then read on.

Dhat Island is bringing Caribbean Creole cuisine to Redlands, and is celebrating with a grand opening mixer and sampling from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight (June 30).

Dhat Island is at 509 N. Eureka St., at Stuart Avenue, in the former Partners Pantry location. They opened June 23.

The restaurant offers catering, lunch pickup and delivery, and will likely be open for dinner soon.

Owner Angela Alcé and her husband, Carlo, have family from the Caribbean, and Dhat Island serves a fusion of traditional food from several islands.

Alcé, who has lived in Redlands nearly ten over twelve years, has previously catered in the Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County areas.

For more information, check out this blurb in the Redlands Daily Facts.

On Fridays, we normally get a lunch review from Elaine Lehman and a dinner review from either Allan Borgen or David Cohen.

Well, today is different. We do get a lunch review from Elaine, but this week, as last week, we don't get a dinner review.

More on that later.

Elaine "flew" over to San Bernardino to have lunch at the Airport Express Cafe, near the entrance to the San Bernardino International Airport. According to Elaine, they have a mix of items including Asian, Korean and Mexican dishes.

Hmm.

I thought Korean was Asian.

They also serve American and Mexican breakfasts.

They do serve one of my favorites for lunch: the Monte Cristo sandwich, which was one of two options Elaine was pondering. She chose the veggie sandwich.

I guess I'll have to "fly" over and check it out for myself.

You can read her take here.

Nicole Richie: Hello?

Paris Hilton: Omigod! You'll never guess what just happened!

Nicole: Um...

Paris: OK, so I was in my car, on my way to Harry Winston, listening to my album, OK? And it started skipping. I mean, really! That thing never leaves my CD player. Why on earth would it be skipping? So anyway, I pushed the eject button thingie to pop it out so I could look at it, and the radio came on.

Nicole: Uh...

Paris: And I heard on the radio that Pinkberry is giving away free yogurt on Friday. I couldn't believe it! So I pulled the car over right there on Beverly and whipped out my new iPhone. I found this Web page that explained everything...

Nicole: OK...

Paris: So anyway, I found out they've got new summer flavors -- coconut and passion fruit -- and from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday they'll be giving out small cups of the new flavors. I totally can't wait! You know how much I love coconut!

Nicole: Uh...

Paris: You know I'm at Pinkberry, like, every day. Since you're my BFF, I'll pick you up at 4:30 on Friday, I'll bet we can hit every Pinkberry in L.A., starting with the two here in Beverly Hills.

Nicole: Paris?

Paris: Uh...yeah?

Nicole: Why are you calling me?

Paris: Um...

Nicole: We haven't spoken in two years!

Paris: Uh...who is this?

Nicole: Nicole Richie.

Paris: Nicole? Omigod...I am so sorry. I totally thought I was calling Kim Kardashian. I must still have your number in my phone. I can't believe I called you. Totally sorry. My bad. *click*

From the Claremont Now blog we learn that ice creamery Bert & Rocky's is hosting a fundraiser for Kidcare International from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday (June 25).

During the "Scoop for Hunger" fundraiser, Bert & Rocky's will donate 20 percent of their sales, plus any tips received, to the Claremont-based organization.

If you've never tried Bert & Rocky's, this would be a good excuse to check them out. This is a good cause and they make really good ice cream.

Bert & Rocky's is at 242 Yale Avenue, at Bonita Avenue, in Claremont.

So, you've just had a busy time fighting the SUV-driving weekend hordes at Costco, and those puny food samples haven't come anywhere close to quelling your appetite.

What's a hungry shopper to do?

Well, that's where the San Bernardino Chipotle Mexican Grill comes to your rescue!

For the next two weekends (June 20, 21, 27 and 28), the San Bernardino Chipotle, conveniently located at Tippecanoe Avenue and Hospitality Lane -- directly across the street from the San Bernardino Costco -- will give you a free burrito when you bring in your Costco receipt.

That's right, a free Chipotle burrito!

You know Chipotle...where you decide what goes inside.

I usually decide that it's a veggie burrito bowl with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, tomatillo green-chili salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream, cheese and guacamole inside. Yum!

The offer isn't good on fax or online orders, but if you're shopping at the San Bernardino Costco, all you have to do is walk across the street. It doesn't get any easier than that.

If you haven't tried Chipotle's burritos, they're really good...they're even worth fighting the Costco crowds for.

Click here to download the flier.

Today is your day.

Tipped off by Canan Tasci's Montclair Now blog, we were surprised to learn that today is free Hot Dog on a Stick day.

You would think that would be something we would've known about before today. Hmmm.

Regardless, you've still got time to take advantage of the deal, since the primary color-clad gals and guys don't start handing out the free batter-dipped dogs until 5 p.m. And they'll continue to hand them out until 8 p.m.

It's in celebration of the chain's founding in June 1946 by Dave Barham, who passed away in 1991.

Don't know if the offer includes their veggie dogs, but it's definitely one free dog per customer.

Inland Empire Hot Dog on a Stick locations include: Inland Center (San Bernardino), Montclair Plaza, Redlands Mall, Moreno Valley Mall, Victoria Gardens (Rancho Cucamonga), Galleria at Tyler (Riverside) and Westfield Promenade (Temecula). If you want to include the deserts, there's Westfield Palm Desert and the Mall at Victor Valley (Victorville).

For more information, click here.

Monday will bring us a new barbecue restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga: Joey's. This joint already has locations in Pomona, Upland and Chino. It'll be the fifth eatery dedicated to barbecue, following Red Hill, Lucille's, Dickey's and Famous Dave's. (Am I missing any?)

Five barbecue restaurants, with three new ones in the last year ... that's impressive. It's like the new frozen yogurt.

Joey's, on Foothill Boulevard near Klusman, sits on what I believe to be a stretch with the best restaurants in the city. Victoria Gardens fans might vehemently object, but Route 66 between Vineyard and Archibald is home to some pretty awesome restaurants, especially if you're like me, constantly hungry and poor. Coffee Klatch, In & Out, Pho Ha, Taco Hut, The Deli and Felipe's are all outstanding. Maybe Joey's can soon join that list.  

Once again, our friends at Pick Up Stix have graced our email inbox with notifications of deals.

So, we here at Dine 909 are passing them along to you, Our Gentle Readers.

And their timing couldn't have been more perfect, since one of the deals occurs on Tuesdays and the other takes place on Wednesdays.

In actuality, the dated deals are extensions of currently-running offers. Tuesdays (after 5 p.m.) brings two chicken entrées, steamed white or brown rice and two vegetable egg rolls for $9.99. Wednesdays, you can purchase their cream cheese wontons for only 25¢, with a minimum purchase of two.

No coupon is necessary for either of these deals.

However, you can either click here for a coupon that gives you a free entrée with the purchase of another, or you can click here for a gaggle (I believe that's the correct term) of coupons that includes that buy-one-get-one-free coupon and others, including $5 off $20.

Thanks again, Tom!

If you work for a restaurant and want to send us some deals to share with our readers, feel free to email us at dine909@inlandnewspapers.com.

I had been wanting to try Happy Family Vegetarian Cuisine (2150 S. Waterman Ave.) in San Bernardino for a while now. Not that I'm a vegetarian, mind you. Not that I'm a total carnivore, either. I'm somewhere in-between.

But I'm seriously fascinated by faux-meat vegetarian dishes, like those found at Veggie Era in Upland, and also at Happy Family.

I finally went there last week and was impressed. It's in the same small strip mall as Jackpot Thai & Chinese Food, and I was expecting a similar experience.

They're as different as night and day.

Jackpot caters mostly to take-out orders and has a few tables in its sparse dining area. Happy Family is a beautifully decorated sit-down restaurant. I was a bit surprised to learn that when I walked in.

If the headline is a tad obscure...let me enlighten you:

The Fraternal Order of Eagles, Pomona Aerie 2215 ("The Biggest Little Aerie in America," according to their Web site) is hosting a baked chicken dinner K-9 fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 18. All proceeds will go toward purchasing another police dog for the Pomona Police Department.

Cost is $7.00. The Aerie is at 954 W. Mission Blvd.

For more infomation, call (909) 622-9160.

A while back, Dine 909 and Redlands Daily Facts Business Editor Joy Juedes paid a visit West Coast Whoopies in Calimesa.

I felt privileged to meet Queen Whoopie Maker Alisa Evans, who invited us "behind the curtain" to see whoopie pies as they were being made.

I was definitely impressed by her work ethic.

But I digress. Let's start at the beginning...

What's a whoopie pie? It's similar to a Hostess Suzy Q, but fresh, delicious and...round. Imagine two cupcake tops with frosting in-between. That's a whoopie pie.

West Coast Whoopies makes their whoopie pies in a variety of flavors. I tried several: Aunty Anne's Red Velvet, Cheryl's Snickerdoodle and the limited-edition Babe's Orange Blossom. My favorite, though, was the Boston Original, delicious chocolate cake with creme filling. Yum!